1. Field
Apparatuses and methods consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to video encoding and decoding.
2. Description of the Related Art
As hardware capable of reproducing and storing high-resolution or high-quality video content has been developed and distributed, the need for a video codec capable of effectively encoding or decoding high-resolution or high-quality video content has increased. A related art video codec encodes a video according to a limited encoding method using a macroblock having a predetermined size.
Inter prediction, which is a method of compressing an image by removing temporal redundancy between pictures, uses motion estimation and motion compensation. The motion estimation involves predicting blocks of a current picture by using at least one reference picture. During bidirectional prediction, a block may have two pieces of motion information. During bidirectional prediction, since motion estimation is performed twice, the hardware load is higher than that during unidirectional prediction.